Beefy strat coil tap dilemma

[APRAJJ]

Pick-up choice

My beefy strat project:



I have a hot rails bridge and a cool rails neck thus far. Both intended with split to single coil option via a push pull volume.


I have planned to add a vintage rails to the middle position however I learned the coil tap won’t work, as it won’t pick up all 6 strings if split!


So could anyone either recommend a good alternative pick-up for the middle position to work with the hot and cool bridge and neck?


Alternatively I considered wiring the middle so it does not split when pot is pulled up. Could that work??


Thank you!

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!
Yes, the Vintage Rails (and Duckbucker) has 3 strings in parallel with the other 3 strings. So you can't split it. A Classic Stack is hum-cancelling and sounds like a great single coil, and will sound really good with the Hot Rails and Cool Rails. A YJM pickup will sound good, too.

Another idea is that instead of splitting the Rails, switch them to parallel. They will stay hum-cancelling, and lots of people prefer the parallel sound of those pickups to the split sound.

 

[APRAJJ]

Thank you for the reply. I’ve gone for a classic stack as we don’t have any vintage coils available on UK at the moment!?

 

[Mincer]

I think you will like the Classic Stack. It is a wonderful pickup.

 

[APRAJJ]

Can’t wait to try it! I think I need help with my wiring diagram. I can find an existing diagram for 3 humbuckers and a push/pull but I want to adapt it for 2 humbuckers and a classic stack now. Hmm...

 

[GuitarDoc]

I'm one who likes the parallel sound more often than the split sound. But with some pups and setups the split sound can be great.

One thing to keep in mind though: you can split both neck and bridge pups at the same time with just one p/p, but you'll need one p/p to put each pup in parallel (thus you'll need two p/p pots).

 

[GuitarDoc]

ps: we're talking about "split" here, not "tap". "Tap" is different than "split" and requires a specially wound pup with an extra coil wire.

 

[Artie]

I have planned to add a vintage rails to the middle position however I learned the coil tap won't work, as it won't pick up all 6 strings if split!

Actually, it will. It's the coil that picks up the string vibration. Not the pole piece. And the coil goes full length. The pole piece just projects the magnetism unto the strings, and the "other" coil pole piece continues to do that regardless of whether that coil is active.

I actually wanted to do the 3-string split once for a wiring experiment. It didn't work. The split coil still picked up all six strings. The split pole pieces is strictly cosmetic.

P.S. As others have mentioned, however, these rail pups aren't all that great split. They really sound better parallel.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Actually, it will. It's the coil that picks up the string vibration. Not the pole piece. And the coil goes full length. The pole piece just projects the magnetism unto the strings, and the "other" coil pole piece continues to do that regardless of whether that coil is active.

I actually wanted to do the 3-string split once for a wiring experiment. It didn't work. The split coil still picked up all six strings. The split pole pieces is strictly cosmetic.

P.S. As others have mentioned, however, these rail pups aren't all that great split. They really sound better parallel.

Thanks Artie; never realized that. With a Duckbucker you could've actually removed half the pole pieces.

Now I wonder about the Fralin split rails - always figured those for end-to-end coils too...

I know one Jerry Sentell's pickups uses offset three-string coils, but that one's full humbucker-sized.

EDIT: Apparently Jerry no longer carries that as a standard model. But I'm sure he'd still make one if anybody wanted.

 

[Artie]

Thanks Artie; never realized that. With a Duckbucker you could've actually removed half the pole pieces.

Now I wonder about the Fralin split rails - always figured those for end-to-end coils too...

I know one Jerry Sentell's pickups uses offset three-string coils, but that one's full humbucker-sized.

EDIT: Apparently Jerry no longer carries that as a standard model. But I'm sure he'd still make one if anybody wanted.

I know the G&L does the split coil thing. What I was hoping to do is an HSH guitar, with a Duckbucker or Vintage Rails in the middle. I wanted to have the lower three strings on with the bridge, and the upper three strings on with the neck. That way, you'd get a little more beef with the bridge, and a little more high end with the neck. But alas, it didn't work. I don't think G&L sells those pups separately.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I know the G&L does the split coil thing. What I was hoping to do is an HSH guitar, with a Duckbucker or Vintage Rails in the middle. I wanted to have the lower three strings on with the bridge, and the upper three strings on with the neck. That way, you'd get a little more beef with the bridge, and a little more high end with the neck. But alas, it didn't work. I don't think G&L sells those pups separately.

Cool idea. I know there's somebody besides G&L making a Strat pickup using end-to-end coils but I just can't seem to remember who.

 

[APRAJJ]

Ok, thanks for all the interesting feedback.

the final set-up choice was:

cool rails (neck)
YJM SK10 (middle)
Hot rails (bridge)

no push/pull. Didn’t need it.

Just classic 5 way switch and it sounds amazing.

 

[Artie]

Sweet! How do you like that YJM? Isn't it hotter than the other two? (Too lazy to look it up.)

 

[jeremy]

nah. the yjm isnt that high output actually. old school stack design

 

[Mincer]

Ok, thanks for all the interesting feedback.

the final set-up choice was:

cool rails (neck)
YJM SK10 (middle)
Hot rails (bridge)

no push/pull. Didn’t need it.

Just classic 5 way switch and it sounds amazing.

That looks awesome. Congrats!

 

[APRAJJ]

Sweet! How do you like that YJM? Isn't it hotter than the other two? (Too lazy to look it up.)

It really holds it’s own. Could use a full set them, but it also gives variety of options at positions 4 & 2 mixed the rails.

The height of the pick-ups has been the most important part of balancing the outputs.

A lot if fun.

 

[freefrog]

Welcome to the forum!
Another idea is that instead of splitting the Rails, switch them to parallel. They will stay hum-cancelling, and lots of people prefer the parallel sound of those pickups to the split sound.

+1. Rails pickups with series / parallel switches are what I have in my main stage guitar and work like a charm for going from thick HB tones to single coilish clean without hum.

 

[Ashurbanipal]

I wanted to have the lower three strings on with the bridge, and the upper three strings on with the neck. That way, you'd get a little more beef with the bridge, and a little more high end with the neck. But alas, it didn't work. I don't think G&L sells those pups separately.

This sounds like the reverse of what was available on the old Burns Jazz Split Sound and Split Sonic guitars. The eponymous pu selection engaged the bass string coil of the neck pu and the treble string coil of the bridge, so you'd get this warm low/bright top at once, quite unique. The pickups obviously had two bobbins, with neck and bridge having their own start/finish wire, which allowed for this option. Burns were famous back in the day for elaborate switching.